Pelicans Owner: Decision On Green Is Dumars’ To Make
Amid rumors that the Pelicans are having “serious” internal discussions about head coach Willie Green‘s future, team owner Gayle Benson tells Jeff Duncan of NOLA.com (subscription required) that any decision on Green’s job status will be made by executive VP of basketball operations Joe Dumars, not by her.
There was speculation when Dumars replaced David Griffin as the Pelicans’ head of basketball operations in the spring that he’d bring in a new head coach after Green led the team to a 21-61 record last season. That didn’t happen, but now that New Orleans is off to a 2-9 start this fall, those rumors have resurfaced and intensified, with some reports suggesting that Benson’s fondness for Green is the reason why he still has his job.
Speaking to Duncan, Benson insisted that’s not the case.
“I really like Willie Green, but I hired Joe Dumars to assess our basketball operation. And that’s what he is doing. He is assessing Willie and all the players,” Benson said. “He and I spent the entire halftime (of Wednesday’s game) talking. When he makes a decision, that’s up to him. That’s why I hired him.
“I trust Joe, because I feel like he knows people. He’s known Willie since he was a child, so they know each other. And if he can fix that problem, then he’ll fix it. If he can’t, then that’ll be his decision, not mine. I’ve left that in his hands.”
Injuries have limited the Pelicans’ ceiling in recent years, particularly since the start of the 2024/25 season. Star forward Zion Williamson has played in just 35 of 93 games during that time, and virtually every other starter or rotation player has missed time for health reasons too, including projected long-term cornerstones Trey Murphy III and Herbert Jones.
Still, even when the Pelicans have had most of their top players available, the results haven’t been great. As William Guillory of The Athletic recently observed, the team has a net rating of -11.3 during the 75 minutes in which Williamson, Murphy, and Jones have played together this season.
Benson talked to Duncan for about a half-hour in total, speaking at length about the poor starts this fall by the Pelicans and her other team, the NFL’s New Orleans Saints. Benson sought to make it clear during that interview that neither franchise is on the market.
“The teams are not for sale. That’s in capital letters. I want everybody to know the teams are not for sale,” Benson said. “I get tired of people asking me (if they’re for sale). I’m going to turn 79 in January, but I’m pretty healthy. I hear that people want to talk to me about buying the team. I’m like, well, that’s a waste of my time. That’s not going to happen. And people need to calm down about the team moving.”
Benson wanted to make one last point at the end of her conversation with Duncan.
“I just want everyone to know that I’m doing everything that I can, other than throwing the ball and catching it and getting the ball in the hoop,” she said. “I can’t do any more than I’m doing. I’m giving (the teams) the money. I’ve done everything I can to help these guys. After every game, win or lose, both teams, I’m in that locker room. When they come in from the field or off the court, I’m hugging every one of them, win or lose. I can’t do any more than let them know I’m supporting them. I don’t know what else I can do.”
Rival Teams Would Have Interest In Domantas Sabonis Trade
The Kings would have several interested suitors if they decide to part with Domantas Sabonis, Sam Amick of the Athletic said during a recent appearance on SacTown Sports (YouTube link; hat tip to Real GM).
“So, as it relates to Sabonis, my understanding is there are at least a few teams that have raised their hand to say, ‘Yeah, he’s somebody we’d want to talk about,’” Amick told the hosts. “I’ve said it on your show before — I don’t have that sort of information about Zach (LaVine).”
Sabonis is currently making $42.3MM and still has two more seasons left on the four-year extension he signed in 2023. He’ll earn $45.5MM in 2026/27 and $48.6MM in 2027/28 before becoming a free agent in the summer of 2028.
Sabonis, 29, is a three-time All-Star who has led the league in rebounding the past three years. He’s gotten off to a slow start this season as his numbers are down across the board at 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists through nine games, but he’s still a highly valued big man.
The Kings have been an early disappointment at 3-9 and could be considering changes, either in an effort to salvage the season or to tank in hopes of landing a high pick in a strong draft.
As Amick indicates, it could be much easier to trade Sabonis than LaVine, who’s making $47.5MM and holds a $49MM player option for next season. The Bulls spent months trying to find a taker for LaVine before Sacramento agreed to acquire him as part of a three-team trade in February.
Amick also said the Kings were “comfortable” giving Keegan Murray a five-year rookie scale extension because “they not only valued him within their program, but they learned that he’s got a lot of value around the league.” Murray hasn’t played yet this season after undergoing thumb surgery in October.
Pacers Reportedly Eyeing Jose Alvarado
With Tyrese Haliburton out for the season due to a torn Achilles tendon, the Pacers have been on the lookout for help at point guard, having cycled through multiple veterans during the preseason and later cutting James Wiseman to add Mac McClung. McClung was subsequently replaced by Monte Morris, whom the team initially intended to bring in for camp before discovering he had a calf injury that has since healed.
Head coach Rick Carlisle said McClung was the most impressive participant in a three-player free agent workout on October 27, which is why the Pacers signed him. According to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), the other two participants in that session were Morris and Cody Martin, whose 10-day hardship contract with Indiana expires on Friday.
Martin, who missed Thursday’s game in Phoenix due to an illness (Twitter link via the team), is unlikely to return to the Pacers unless they’re granted another hardship exception, Fischer writes.
In addition to keeping close tabs on free agents, Indiana has also been monitoring the trade market for backcourt help. Sources tell Fischer that Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado is of particular interest to the Pacers.
Alvarado, 27, went undrafted in 2021 after a standout college career at Georgia Tech. The 27-year-old is making $4.5MM this season and holds a player option for 2026/27 worth the same amount.
Through 10 games this season, Alvarado is averaging 6.7 points, 2.6 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.0 steal in 18.9 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .423/.429/.800.
Taurean Prince Undergoes Neck Surgery, Out Indefinitely
Bucks forward Taurean Prince underwent surgery in Los Angeles on Thursday to address the herniated disk in his neck, the team announced in a press release (Twitter link).
Prince will remain out indefinitely, according to the Bucks, with additional updates to come “as necessary.”
The 12th overall pick in the 2016 draft, Prince is in his 10th NBA season and second with Milwaukee. As a free agent over the summer, the 31-year-old re-signed with the Bucks on a two-year deal, including a $3.8MM player option for 2026/27 that he seems highly likely to exercise after the unfortunate injury.
Prince, who last played on November 4, underwent an MRI last week, which revealed the herniated disk. On Monday, the team said it was still evaluating possible treatment plans — surgery was determined to be the best course of action.
In 80 appearances last season, including 73 starts, Prince averaged 8.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.0 steal while shooting 43.9% from long distance (27.1 minutes per game). The Baylor alum made eight appearances this fall, averaging 6.1 PPG, 1.6 RPG, 1.0 APG and 0.8 SPG while shooting 42.9% from deep (21.1 MPG).
Kyle Kuzma has seen an uptick in minutes with Prince out, a trend that will likely continue with the veteran forward reportedly expected to miss extended time.
Jalen Brunson Sustains Grade 1 Right Ankle Sprain
4:03 pm: Brunson appears to have avoided a major injury, as he has been diagnosed with a Grade 1 ankle sprain, as first reported by Ian Begley of SNY.tv (via Twitter) and confirmed by several other outlets (all Twitter links here).
While Brunson will be out Friday against Miami, he will be evaluated on a daily basis moving forward, which suggests he probably won’t miss an extended period of time.
8:50 am: Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson sustained a right ankle injury late in the fourth quarter of a lopsided home loss to Orlando on Wednesday and was seen wearing a walking boot on his right foot and using crutches as he exited Madison Square Garden, writes Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
Brunson didn’t speak to reporters after the loss and head coach Mike Brown didn’t have an update on the star guard’s status, so it’s not yet clear whether the injury will force him to miss time.
Since arriving in New York in 2022, Brunson has been quite durable, appearing in at least 65 regular season games in each of his three seasons with the Knicks. However, as Bondy points out, the 29-year-old missed roughly a month near the end of the 2024/25 season after badly spraining the same ankle.
Bondy also notes that the situation in which Brunson injured his ankle on Wednesday opens up Brown to some criticism. After former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made a habit of leaving his starters in games that seemed out of reach, Brown told reporters during training camp that he wouldn’t be afraid to “throw the towel in early” in those scenarios in order to keep his best players as fresh and healthy as possible.
The Knicks were trailing by 16 points when Brunson suffered the injury with 1:54 left to play.
Paolo Banchero Suffers Left Groin Strain
2:20 pm: An MRI confirmed that Banchero has a left groin strain, tweets Shams Charania of ESPN. According to Charania, the forward has been ruled out for Friday’s game vs. Brooklyn and will continue to be evaluated daily beyond that. The update suggests that Banchero avoided a major injury.
7:45 am: The Magic‘s 17-point win in New York on Wednesday was the team’s most impressive victory of the season, but it came at a cost. Star forward Paolo Banchero exited the game in the second quarter due to a left groin strain and didn’t return. He told Fred Katz of The Athletic that he sustained the injury after trying to accelerate up the floor following a defensive rebound.
“I just slowed up, and I felt it right away,” Banchero said. “And then, I did a couple more trips up and down, and then, it was still there. So I asked to come out because I didn’t wanna risk further injury.”
Banchero confirmed that he’ll undergo an MRI to determine the severity of the injury, but he’s hopeful that it’s not significant. As he pointed out to Katz, he wasn’t in nearly as much discomfort on Wednesday as he was when he suffered an oblique tear last season that cost him over two months.
“I dealt with an oblique last year, and that was a tear,” Banchero said. “And feeling it, it was kinda really painful to where I couldn’t really do much. I couldn’t really move much. This (groin injury), I can still do movements. There just was a pain there. (Trainers) said if it was torn or anything, I wouldn’t be able to do anything. So, that’s encouraging.”
Banchero, who started each of Orlando’s first 12 games this season, entered Wednesday’s contest with averages of 23.3 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in 34.7 minutes per night.
Reserve forward Jonathan Isaac started the second half in Banchero’s place and is a prime candidate for an increased role if the former No. 1 overall pick has to miss time. Forward Tristan Da Silva could also earn a minutes bump in that scenario.
The Magic’s road victory over the Knicks pulled the team back to .500 (6-6) following a 1-4 start to the season.
Doug Christie Rips Kings For ‘Shameful’ Compete Level
Since Kings head coach Doug Christie vowed on Tuesday that his team would “get it right” following a shaky start to the season, Sacramento has lost back-to-back home games against the Nuggets and Hawks. Wednesday’s defeat to Atlanta was especially one-sided, as the Kings fell behind by 44 points before ultimately losing by 33 and extending their winless streak to four games.
Immediately after sitting down for his post-game media session on Wednesday, Christie referred to Sacramento’s compete level as “shameful” (Twitter video link via Sean Cunningham of KCRA 3). He then proceeded to express his frustrations with his 3-9 club over the next 12 minutes as he fielded questions from reporters.
Here are a few of the most notable remarks from the Kings’ head coach:
On the Hawks’ 33-8 advantage in fast-break points on Wednesday:
“(That) says that you’re not getting back, you’re not communicating, you’re not building walls, you’re not being physical. … Listen, this ain’t about anything but competition and effort, period. You can play that team 10 times and I doubt you would get a result like that – especially after this, play them nine more times – not if you’ve got no damn pride.”
On representing the Kings the right way for fans in Sacramento:
“Put on the jersey, represent it properly. These people need to come into the turnstiles and they need to be proud when they leave here about the product that they see, not f—ing embarrassed. Unacceptable, period. It is. This is a simple one, this ain’t even hard.”
On the Kings’ struggling starters and whether he’s considering lineup changes:
“You’ve got to. I mean, those guys are -31 (DeMar DeRozan), -38 (Domantas Sabonis), -34 (Russell Westbrook), -20 (Dennis Schröder). You’ve got to.
“They need to look at themselves and say, ‘When we’re competing at a high level, we’re playing against anybody.’ We were (within) three points or whatever it was going into the fourth (quarter) with Denver. Milwaukee, you compete all the way to the end. And then you just do that? That’s wild. And that’s not anything except tying your shoes tight and saying, ‘You know what? I’m about this life and I’m going to represent properly.'”
On subbing out his entire starting lineup just over two minutes into the second half:
“There’s people that will actually do things the right way. Might not be as talented, but guess what? That’s when the hockey shift came in. We’ve got some young kids. You know what they’re going to try to do? They’re going to try to compete. Now, Max (Maxime Raynaud) is not as talented as (Kristaps) Porzingis yet and he got into trouble, and Nique (Clifford) got back-cut. OK, but it ain’t from a lack of effort. It ain’t from a lack of want.”
On the Kings’ lack of physicality:
“I was embarrassed. I wish I could’ve put on the jersey. At 55, I would’ve showed you better than that. At least I’m going to use all six fouls. I can’t move, but I’m gonna foul the s–t out of somebody. Like, people just running around, running down the lane, not grabbing nobody.
“And then (the Hawks are) just grabbing, holding, pushing so much that the refs are like, ‘That’s how they play.’ Because that’s how we should play, and the refs should say, ‘That’s how they play. Can’t call them all.’ But our (fouls are) blatant because we ain’t touching nobody. We’re not physical. So as soon as you do touch somebody, it’s a foul. And then you’re looking at the ref crazy. Nah, can’t say really too much to the refs, because the refs can’t help you on this.
“This is all an individual saying, ‘We bringing it.’ And they can, they have. And I’ll be damned if they will.”
On how he would like his veterans to respond:
“I would like them to lead. … Because we’ve got young players in there watching this. And I’m going to text every one of the young players, ‘That’s not acceptable. Do not even think about even trying to equate that that is OK. Do not do it. I will not let you do that, because that s–t, it ain’t cool.’
“They need to lead. What do you want for your team? What do you want for this city? If you want something more than what that was – because that was trash – then lead them. Talk to them. Demonstrate for them. Go out there and show them.
“Listen, maybe you’ve only got 10 minutes of, ‘Man, put it down.’ Well, if that’s what you got, then that’s what you give. Not floating for 30 and playing for 10. Play the game. The game is to be respected. There’s a way to play this game (and) that ain’t it.”
Jonathan Kuminga Removed From Warriors’ Starting Lineup
Warriors coach Steve Kerr promised lineup changes before Wednesday’s game at San Antonio and then unveiled a starting five that didn’t include Jonathan Kuminga, writes Sam Gordon of The San Francisco Chronicle.
Kuminga had started the first 12 games of the season, and Kerr said two weeks ago that he had earned a full-time starting role. Golden State’s recent struggles changed his mind, as the team had dropped five of its last seven and was on a six-game road losing streak before beating the Spurs tonight. The Warriors have four more games left on their current trip, with a rematch in San Antonio on Friday followed by stops in New Orleans, Orlando and Miami.
“It’s very clear that we’ve been a little clunky recently,” Kerr said during his pregame press conference. “I obviously watch everything and look at all the lineup data. … There’s times in the season where it’s obvious you’ve got to make some changes.”
Kerr replaced Kuminga with rookie shooting guard Will Richard, using a small-ball starting lineup that also included Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, Jimmy Butler and Moses Moody. It’s the second career start for Richard, who had made 10 appearances coming into tonight and was averaging 10 points per game while shooting 58.6% from the field and 43.8% from three-point range.
Green spoke out about “personal agendas” following Tuesday’s 24-point loss in Oklahoma City and suggested that it doesn’t feel like everyone is committed to winning. He didn’t mention anyone by name, but it’s easy to interpret his comments as a swipe at Kuminga, whose summer-long contract standoff with the team included a desire for more consistent playing time and a larger role in the offense.
Gordon points out that Kuminga has done fine as a starter, averaging 14.9 points and a team-high 6.8 rebounds per game while connecting at 48.9% from the field and 33.3% from beyond the arc. The Warriors’ two main starting lineups that feature Kuminga and Curry have both won their minutes, Gordon adds. They’re plus-10.8 points per 100 possessions when teaming with Butler, Green and Brandin Podziemski and plus-13.7 when paired with Butler, Green and Quinten Post.
Kerr also told reporters that his lineup change shouldn’t be viewed as a way of blaming anyone for the rocky start.
“It’s never any one individual’s fault,” he said. “It’s all about the team and how we can get the best out of everyone individually so that the collective is stronger.”
Bradley Beal To Undergo Season-Ending Hip Surgery
Clippers guard Bradley Beal has been diagnosed with a fracture in his hip and will undergo season-ending surgery, reports Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link).
“We met with numerous doctors and specialists around the country in collaboration with the entire Clippers medical staff over the last few days, and came to the decision unanimously that the surgery will allow Brad to have a full and complete recovery,” agent Mark Bartelstein said in a statement to ESPN (Twitter link).
According to Law Murray of The Athletic (Twitter link), who confirms Charania’s reporting, the projected recovery timetable for the procedure is six-to-nine months.
Beal had been hoping for a fresh start in Los Angeles this fall after two disappointing years in Phoenix. His time with the Suns came to an end over the summer when he and the team agreed to a buyout that left roughly $97MM in dead money on Phoenix’s cap.
The 32-year-old signed a two-year, $10.98MM deal with the Clippers with the expectation that he’d play a significant role in the rotation and help make up for the scoring the club lost when it traded Norman Powell to Miami in a three-team deal that sent John Collins to L.A.
However, Beal was able to suit up for just six games with his new team, averaging 8.2 points on .375/.368/.750 shooting in 20.2 minutes per contest. While those six games will be by far the fewest Beal has ever played in a single season, injuries have been a recurring problem for him in recent years — he hasn’t made more than 60 regular season appearances since 2018/19.
Beal’s season-ending surgery makes it more likely that he’ll opt into the second year of his contract with the Clippers. He holds a $5.62MM player option for 2026/27.
The Clippers will have the ability to apply for a disabled player exception in the wake of Beal’s injury, but it would only be worth about $2.68MM (half of Beal’s salary) and wouldn’t allow the team to surpass its hard cap. Currently, L.A. is carrying just 14 players on its standard roster and doesn’t have the ability to add a 15th man until January, at which point a prorated minimum salary will fit below the first tax apron.
With no reinforcements likely on the way in the short term, the Clippers will have to hope for more from veteran guards like Bogdan Bogdanovic and Chris Paul, who are off to slow starts this season. Additionally, Collins figures to be among the players who take on more offensive responsibilities to help James Harden and Kawhi Leonard (when healthy) shoulder the scoring load.
NBA Projecting $14.3 Billion In Revenue For 2025/26 Season
In the first year of its new media rights deal with ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon, the NBA is projecting a total of $14.3 billion in overall gross revenue for the 2025/26 season, according to Kurt Badenhausen of Sportico.
That would represent a 12% increase on last season’s $12.75 billion in league-wide revenue, Badenhausen writes, adding that the league shared the projection with team owners in September.
The $14.3 billion projection takes into account all of the revenue generated by the league and its teams, with the exception of the money teams make from non-NBA events at the arenas they own and operate, Badenhausen explains. While many revenue streams factor into the total, the $76 billion media deal is a driving factor in the projected increase — each team’s TV revenue will rise from $103MM to $143MM this season, Badenhausen says, with that number increasing by 7% annually going forward.
Basketball-related income, which represents a portion of the league’s total revenue, is the figure used to the NBA’s salary cap from year to year. Last season, Badenhausen notes, the NBA’s BRI ($10.25 billion) came in lower than anticipated, having been negatively impacted by a turbulent local media landscape and the fact that multiple small-market teams made deep postseason runs, which reduced overall gate receipts for the playoffs. As a result, players had to return roughly $484MM to teams to meet the 51/49 revenue split between players and owners.
However, the new media rights deal should help ensure a larger BRI figure in 2025/26, which bodes well for players retaining their full salaries (or even receiving supplemental checks) and for the growth of the salary cap going forward.